Proposal on false reporting of a crime receives bipartisan support
MADISON – Judges may soon have additional tools to order restitution in cases of falsely reporting a crime as a result of bipartisan action in the Wisconsin State Assembly.
According to the bill’s author, Representative Dan Knodl (R-Germantown), Assembly Bill 263 would give law enforcement agencies the flexibility to recoup the costs of responding to a false report of a crime. Specifically, if an individual is convicted of having provided false information or placing physical evidence with the specific intent of misleading law enforcement, a judge could order restitution to a police department.
“Taxpayers and law enforcement officers should not be forced to foot the bill when someone sends police on a wild goose chase,” said Knodl. “These costs should be the responsibility of those individuals falsely reporting a crime. Allowing a judge to order restitution for such costs is more than reasonable.”
AB 263 now awaits the consideration of the State Senate.
The Assembly also approved a number of other common sense bills, including:
AB 104 – Requires at least one member of the Natural Resources Board to have a background in agriculture as well as requiring at least three of the seven members to have held either a hunting, fishing or trapping license in at least seven of the previous ten years.
SB 116 – Implements the federal Military and Overseas Voters Empowerment (MOVE) Act.
AB 158 - Allows the Natural Resources Board to only consider the votes of Wisconsin residents attending and casting votes at the Conservation Congress’ Spring Hearings.